


Because I'll face it all with you

by AmoraRisa



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Dewey is so much like Della, Donald Duck Needs a Hug, Huey is stressed out, Louie and Della are not getting along, Overprotective Donald Duck, Parent Donald Duck, Post Season 02 Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:47:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23144911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmoraRisa/pseuds/AmoraRisa
Summary: Della is back, but Donald is still the parent.
Relationships: Della Duck & Dewey Duck & Donald Duck, Della Duck & Dewey Duck & Donald Duck & Huey Duck & Louie Duck, Della Duck & Donald Duck, Dewey Duck & Donald Duck, Dewey Duck & Donald Duck & Huey Duck & Louie Duck, Donald Duck & Gladstone Gander, Donald Duck & Goofy, Louie Duck & "Glittering" Goldie O'Gilt, Max Goof & Goofy
Comments: 80
Kudos: 588





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

Dewey always reminded Donald of Della. Sometimes so much it would hurt.  
  
From his early first steps, when he would always find the most dangerous corner of the houseboat to explore, never resting to sit down or crawl like his brothers. He was the first of the three to walk. And soon his walking turned to running! It was a wonder he hadn't fallen into the sea!  
  
Donald of course couldn't remember it, but his parents would often say how Della stood up on her feet much sooner than him. By the time Donald finally managed to stand up, she was already running around the house. Adventure was always in her mind, she just couldn't stand still, not even for a moment. Dewey got that from her.  
  
And every time Donald had prepared pizza for the boys, cake or anything fancy, he would look at Dewey's blown-away, excited expression and he would see Della in his eyes. She was always so enthusiastic about small and unimportant stuff, and that frequently annoyed her twin brother. But now that he saw the same reaction in Dewey, Donald wasn't annoyed at all. But he felt rather nostalgic. And maybe sad.  
  
"But uncle Donald, I don't want to sleep!"  
  
Huey was sleeping peacefully and Louie was snoring, half his body out of the bed.  
  
But Dewey of course was full of adrenaline. How was that even possible? He was running around and acting like a maniac all day, shouldn't he be the most tired of them all?  
  
"Why should I go to bed when I could do so much other interesting stuff instead?"  
  
Donald made an effort not to smile. That was so Della.  
  
He still remembered the long nights when they shared their room and she just wouldn't shut up instead of sleeping! She would talk to him about her day, about something she read, about something she learnt from the Junior Woodchucks, about anything! It didn't matter what the subject was, she just did it for the sake of staying awake.  
  
Most times Donald pretended he was listening, when he had actually fallen asleep. But there were nights that Della could be so loud that putting his head under the pillow couldn't help him at all.  
  
"Stop talking! I want to sleep!"  
  
"Of course you would. You lazy dummy!"  
  
And then she would jump on his bed. Sleeping was impossible.  
  
Donald still had a very serious problem of sleep deprivation, but he really missed having his sister to wake him up ten times in the middle of the night.  
  
He could still wake up, under the impression that she had spoken to him really loud, only to find out that he wasn't in their old bedroom, but on the hammock of his houseboat. And Della wasn't there. It was just a dream.  
  
"Oh, Dewey... Everyone needs some rest" Donald would tuck him in with a gentle kiss on his forehead. The lullaby usually helped him sleep.  
  
He could see Della in him when he tried some new food he didn't like, or when he made him eat broccoli.  
  
"Bliah! That's gross! Worst taste ever!"  
  
Della would say that all the time.  
  
They were just so alike! Their thirst for adventure, their obsession with karaoke nights, their antagonism in board games... Pretty much everything!  
  
And now Della was here.  
  
And Donald had never seen Dewey happier.  
  
They connected immediately. They didn't even have to try. Della would always take him with her on adventures with the Sunchaser, while Huey had a meeting with the Junior Woodchucks and Louie was watching an all-day TV marathon of Ottoman Empire.  
  
Their common interests made it so easy and natural for them to bond, that each day Dewey was coming closer and closer to Della.  
  
And further away from Donald.  
  
No, of course Donald didn't mind! She was his mother after all! They deserved this. It felt as if Dewey had finally found a missing piece of his. Donald was just happy that Dewey was happy.  
  
Well, the mid-triplet was always known to be excited with new things and situations and then get bored almost immediately. Whenever he had a new toy when he was smaller, he would play with it and be obsessed all day, and the following day he would toss it aside and forget it even existed.  
  
Not that Donald wanted his nephew to toss his mother aside! He was genuinely glad that the two of them got along. But he also missed him a bit. And maybe soon enough Dewey would stop spending 24/7 with Della and let him be a part of his life again.  
  
With Huey he didn't have that problem.  
  
That kid had always been a younger version of him, and it was him of the three who had the softest spot for him.  
  
After the moonvasion, while everyone was gathered around Della, Huey was the only one sitting with Donald, mainly asking him technical stuff about how he survived on that island.  
  
And of course he would make small gestures to show his appreciation, like cooking for him or dropping by the houseboat and helping him out with some chores.

“Uncle Donald, can you help me with math? I don’t get this… thing!!”

Della was better at math. She would often brag about it. She even offered to help them study.

But Huey still went to him. Donald knew that sometimes Huey didn’t need any help. But he came anyway. They were having a nice time together.  
  
Whenever he returned from a Junior Woodchuck meeting he would run to Donald and share his excitement about what he had learned that day. Sure, Della was once a Junior Woodchuck and could understand him and share his passion better, but Donald was glad that this habit Huey had wouldn't change.  
  
Louie on the hand...  
  
He had changed notably during those six months. It was clear that Della's return affected him a great deal.  
  
But there were also some things that would never change.

Like his need for hugs. Never in public! Absolutely not in front of others! But when the night came and his brothers were fast asleep, he would sneak out of their bedroom and carry his pillow all the way to Donald’s room in the houseboat. Of course he returned to his own bed before dawn, so no one could notice him.

Louie loved cuddles, even though he would never admit it.

Well, Donald loved them too! Huey and Dewey were starting to drift away from anything physical, but Louie’s hugs were still the tightest and most frequent.

“I missed you so much, uncle Donald!” he whispered in tears one night when he slept on his bed.

“Oh, poor Louie!” exclaimed his uncle and drew him closer. “I missed you too. Don’t cry, everything’s alright now. I’m back”.

“It was all very difficult while you were gone!” the duck buried his face in Donald’s chest. “Mom was very harsh and no one stood up for me! And- and… if you had been there, I wouldn’t have felt so lonely!”

“It’s alright, honey, we’ve talked about this” he cupped his cheeks and smiled at him. “Mom is trying. And I am here”.

“Take me with you wherever you go, okay? You promise?” his eyes, still red, begged him.

“Promise” Donald said.

They both slept very peacefully that night.

Donald opened his eyes in the morning, but his nephew wasn’t there.

“Classic Louie!” he thought.

He had gotten used to it. He would wake up in the morning and Louie would be gone.

But many times he would also wake up in the middle of the night and find him fast asleep right next to him.

Dewey was never there. Not at day, neither at night.

Donald couldn’t remember when it was the last time Dewey had stepped on the houseboat.

“It’s okay, Donald!” he thought to himself. “Let him spend some time with his mother. You don’t have to chase him! He’ll come to you. Eventually. Hopefully”.

But the days passed. Weeks passed and… Nothing.

“That’s just disrespectful of him! I raised him, I changed his diapers, I chased him all around the house to put him in the bathtub and I made him soups when he was sick! And now he doesn’t even have the courtesy to talk to me? That boy is in big trouble!”

“May I ask which one of the three this time?”

Donald turned around. Turns out miss Beakley had heard every single word.

“Dewey” he replied, trying hard to keep his nerves under control.

“Oh, and I thought you found out about Louie’s plastic lobster”.

“About what?” he asked surprised.

“Nothing. Ignore what I just said. What’s the deal with Dewey? As far as I know, he hasn’t done anything wrong. No pranks, no breaking valuable items… He’s always around Della. Sticking to her like a magnet”.

Donald didn’t say anything. He unfolded his arms, lowered his look at the floor and let out a small sigh.

“That’s the problem, isn’t it?” Beakley asked with a sympathetic tone in her voice.

“I don’t want to seem selfish, but I’m here too! I missed him, Mrs. Beakley. I think he doesn’t need me anymore. He’s got his mom and I’m out of the picture. I was just a temporary inconvenience he had to put up with until Della came back”.

“Oh, come on, Donald! Pull yourself together! That’s not true, Dewey still sees you as his parent”.

“It would be nice if I got to actually hear it from him”.

“You will, if you two sit down and talk. Releasing your anger on him will not help either of you. Calm down and find a way to approach him”.

Mrs. Beakley was right.

If Dewey and Della were indeed so much alike, then quarrelling would lead them nowhere.

Donald had to remember the times when he and Della had an argument.

Whenever the twins discussed peacefully and explained their problems instead of just screaming at each other, they would always make up in the end.

Donald was determined to do the same thing with Dewey.

Dewey always reminded Donald of Della. Sometimes so much it would hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading so far! Please forgive any grammatical errors, since English is not my native language.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donald makes two very interesting phone calls...

Donald decided he needed some time alone with Dewey. Not like a personal conversation or a walk in the park. Because every time he tried to do something like that, there were always so many distractions, and Dewey would always prefer to join Della, Webby, Scrooge or occasionally Launchpad.

No, he needed the two of them to get together for real. No distractions, no sudden take offs for a hidden treasure somewhere in Goosestralia, no anything. Just the two of them, far from the mansion, far from Duckburg.

A day on the boat in the open sea would be great, if the engine actually worked. Or maybe an excursion, something like a fishing trip. But that required money he didn't have. He needed new equipment, money for food and accommodation, fuel for the car and most basically a car.

Maybe he could take him and visit Goofy and Max. Boy, he hadn’t seen them in ages! That could work. A peaceful weekend, good friends and undeniably lots of laughter.

Sure, Huey and Louie would get jealous. They would probably want to come along and see Goofy. Thankfully, Huey had planned a field trip with the Junior Woodchucks for the weekend, so Donald had an excuse not to bring him along. And Louie… Hmm, he didn’t have anything to do, but he always preferred to spend the day in the couch in front of the TV. Hopefully he wouldn’t mind staying home.

“Donald! I’m so glad you called!” Goofy’s voice sounded over the phone.

“It’s been a while, right?” he chuckled.

“You bet! Well, I understand. Being a single father does not include much spare time. But it’s always fun to talk to you. We should do that more often”.

“Actually, I had an idea. Maybe I could come by your place. You know, Dewey and I are drawing apart lately and I thought… I don’t know. Maybe we need some time together, away from home. And we could combine it with visiting you. Are you free this weekend?”

“Oh, Donald, that would be great!” Goofy exclaimed, a hint of sadness in his tone. “I wish that was possible. But you see, I’m taking Maxie on a fishing trip, so we’ll be off town”.

“That’s great! Some father-son bonding, eh?”

“Yeah…” he didn’t sound enthusiastic. “We’re going through a difficult phase. Like you and Dewey. Oh, wait till they get older! They’ll be teenagers one day and you won’t even know if you speak the same language!"

“I’m already experiencing such things… Is Max okay?” the duck asked concerned.

“Well… I can’t lie to you, Donald. You are one of my oldest friends. He has problems at school. The principal called me. I’m afraid he’s dealing with bad companies. I’m worried about his future! What if he ends up in the electric chair?”

“Come on, Goof, now you are overreacting!” Donald tried to calm him down. “Max is a good kid. Whatever trouble he’s into, it can’t be that serious. You raised him well, he’s a good boy”.

“That’s what I thought at first. But I can’t risk it. I’m taking him to Lake Destiny, like my father used to take me. That will make things better, at least I hope so. I would love for you and Dewey to join us some other time, but this trip is just for the two of us. I’m sorry to-”

“No, don’t even mention it! I totally get it. Thanks anyways. I hope you two come closer”.

“I hope you and your boy come closer too. Call me more often. Remember what we promised? Single parents united! Ah-hyuck!” he giggled, remembering the good, old times. “Kisses to all three of them. And Della too”.

“Sure. Give my love to Max. It was nice catching up with you”.

Donald was happy that his friend could afford a trip for him and his son, but he felt a little bit jealous as well.

Sure, Goofy was raising a child on his own, but he was never broke. Lucky him! Not that the photographer’s job at the mall was paying well, but at least he had to feed only two mouths.

“So, that’s inconvenient” Donald thought and tried to come up with another idea.

There must have been someone out there who could help him! Someone _luckier_ than him! Someone like… Oh no…

That was the last person Donald wanted to call! But then again, to whom else could he turn? Uncle Scrooge? Definitely not. Della? She couldn’t help him. Launchpad? Don’t think so.

Maybe it was time for Donald to let his personal feelings aside and to contact the only person who could actually help him with that trip.

_“You’re doing it for Dewey, you’re doing it for Dewey!”_ he kept telling to himself as he was dialing.

“Hey, Donaldo! What is my dear cousin doing?” a cheerful voice sounded from the other side of the phone.

“Hi, Gladstone” he replied clearly not amused.

“I’m actually surprised you called. You never do”.

“I hate to say this, but I need your help. After all, you owe me a favour after saving you from that hideous hotel, so you better help me now”.

“Well, if I remember correctly, I paid you back when I gave you a lift from that island in the middle of nowhere. Are you thinking of growing a beard again?”

“Technically Fethry gave me a lift. You just happened to—”

“Blah, blah, blah and wadda wadda!” Gladstone interrupted him. “Just tell me what it is already! You know I’m a busy man” he sighed full of pride.

“Busy doing what? Bathing in 20-dollar bills you did nothing to earn?” Donald scoffed.

“You want my help or what?”

Donald took a huge breath and rubbed his eyes.

“Explain the situation” Gladstone continued. “From the beginning. With all the spicy details”.

“Long story short, Dewey and I aren’t so close lately”.

“Who is D-”

“The blue one” he answered before he could finish his question.

“Whoa! If you have problems with the kid, I can’t help with that. I don’t know any good parenting advice” he declared right away.

“I wouldn’t count on that. I just thought that maybe we should leave for a trip. Just the two of us. Away from any distractions. We need to spend some time together. I really missed it” he confessed in a melancholic voice.

“Oh, Donaldo, you can be very sweet sometimes! Of course I would like that. Unfortunately I’m very busy these days. You see, I’m invited to a V.I.P party on top of—”

“Not you and me! Me and Dewey! An excursion would do us both good. But you see, I’m going to need money for this. To buy tickets and pay the hotel… So I wondered if your unfailing luck could help me”.

“Why don’t you just ask uncle Scrooge?”

A short pause followed, before both of them burst out laughing out loud.

“That was good!” Donald managed to utter while gasping for air.

“I know, wasn’t it?” Gladstone wiped a tear from his eye.

“Okay, okay… Now, let’s get serious” Donald cleared his throat. “Can you help me with this?”

“Well, let’s see… Oh, wait, I have another line. Hang on a minute”.

Of course. What else did he expect? He was always too busy to help his family. It was stupid of him to call.

Maybe he should end the call. Whoever called Gladstone was without a doubt more important than Donald. And he was sure that his cousin would forget he was holding on.

Gladstone would hang up and return to his riches, V.I.P. events, helicopters and luxury cruises, as always. He could never really get him.

It was so strange. They grew up together, with the same toys, the same homemade desserts from their Grandma and everything, but now they were living so different lives!

But as Donald was about to hang up, disappointment all over him, Gladstone’s voice sounded again:

“Hey, Donald, you won’t believe it! I just won a two-day fishing trip for two persons in Lake Moraine!”

“I believe it” he sighed. Unfailing luck indeed! Why didn’t he ever win something like that? However, it was one of the rare moments that Donald was actually glad about his cousin’s luck.

“Too bad I have this gala to attend this weekend. So, are you interested for the trip?”

“Yes! Oh yes, of course!” Donald jumped upside down. “It is a great opportunity! Dewey and I will spend so much time together, we’ll create special memories and bond moments!”

“Sure, whatever. I’ll tell them to write your name instead, Donald _Fauntleroy_ Duck” he said with the usual teasing tone in his voice.

“You’re the worst”.

“You’re welcome” Gladstone said and hang up the phone.


	3. Chapter 3

_Dewey alone in the kitchen! Repeat: Dewey alone in the kitchen!_

It was the perfect opportunity to tell him about the trip. Donald took a huge breath and stepped into the kitchen.

Boy, it had been a while since the two of them were alone!

_Concentrate! Take the tickets off of your pocket._

The duckling was so invested in his cereals he hadn’t noticed him. Donald had to clear his throat to get his attention.

“Hey, uncle Donald! Good morning!” Dewey said with his mouth full.

“Good morning, Dewey!”

“What is this you’re holding? More bills?”

_That’s it, get straight to the point!_

Donald pulled a chair and sat next to him.

“So, Dewey… I won this trip for two to Lake Moraine” he showed him the tickets. “I heard it’s the best place for fishing. We could go for the weekend! Just the two of us. And talk”.

“Did… did I do anything wrong?” the boy asked with a guilty look.

“What? No, why would you ask that? I mean, have you done something wrong?”

“No, it just seems like you want to scold me and give me a good lecture”.

“So I can’t talk to my nephew if there’s no scolding in the way?”

“That means I am innocent?”

“Yes”.

“Phew!” Dewey’s face was full of relief.

“At least until proven otherwise!” his uncle made clear. “So what do you say about the trip?”

“Um…” Dewey started looking for words, not that much excited. “I don’t know, what other activities do they—”

The door behind them opened suddenly and Della burst in with a map on her hands.

“The time? Almost 2,500 years ago! The place? Cloud Cockatoo Land! For centuries believed to be only a myth! Until… Behold!” she held the map high. “The way to discovering the truth behind the legend!”

“Wow!” Dewey whispered in awe. His eyes were shining.

“The Cloudslayer awaits! We may not return” she declared dramatically. “But in that case, we will die with honor. Pack your things, kid! We’re leaving!”

“Whoa!” Donald interrupted them before Dewey could get up from his chair. “One moment! We were supposed to go to Lake Moraine for fishing!”

“Fishing? Nah! Donald, that’s super boring!” Della laughed.

“Maybe we can go some other time, uncle Donald”.

“And what am I supposed to do with the tickets? You don’t know what I had to do to get them!”

“No big deal! Uncle Scrooge will buy you new ones for some other time”.

“It doesn’t work like that, Della! We are adults! And I can’t waste this coupon for a weekend in a 4-star hotel, with breakfast and free meals! Plus, I’ve already taken the fishing equipment!”

“You said 4-star hotel?” Louie’s voice sounded from across the room and then his head popped up in the door. “I wouldn’t mind going”.

“Since when did you like fishing?” Dewey asked.

“Are you kidding? Sitting all day, not doing anything? And a luxurious hotel with jacuzzi? That’s my ideal vacation!”

“Literally no one mentioned anything about jacuzzi” Della murmured rolling her eyes.

“Really, thanks for the invitation, uncle Donald, but the ancient Cloud Cockatoo Land is not something to skip!” Dewey hesitantly said.

“Okay, that settles it then” Della turned to Donald. “This weekend Huey will be on the field trip with the Junior Woodchucks, you and Louie are going to Lake Moraine, and I’m taking Dewey to Cloud Cockatoo Land”.

“Sure” Donald let out a heavy breath.

Okay, maybe that wasn’t what he had planned, but he still needed vacations and it would be a great bonding experience for him and Louie. If he could put his phone down for at least two minutes!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donald and Della must talk...

Donald walked up hesitantly to his sister’s room and knocked the door.

“Della, can I speak with you?”

“Sure, come in! Hope you don’t mind me packing my stuff while talking” she replied, a thrilled expression all over her face.

“Actually, it’s an important talk. Can you please just listen to me for two minutes?”

Della noticed her brother’s look and realized he was serious. She urged him to sit at her bed and then sat beside him.

“I’ve noticed you and Dewey get along pretty well and—”

“Are you kidding?” she interrupted him. “My boy is amazing! He knows all the lyrics to Powerline’s songs, he can fit ten muffins in his mouth at the same time, he can—”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it”.

“You raised him well, Donald! Fantastic job!”

“I know you have a special connection, you have your own little inside jokes, the same interests and all that… But lately I feel like I don’t see him a lot. I try to approach him, but you are always taking him away!”

“Is it about our trip? Donald, we are talking here about the legendary Cloud Cockatoo Land! Who would want to miss it? Certainly not Dewey! He’s born to be an adventurer! Look, I’m sorry it happened to ruin your plans, but you can talk to him some other time”.

“That’s what I keep saying to myself, but always something else more interesting than me comes up!” Donald snapped.

“Come on, don’t be so dramatic! You’ll find an opportunity, you don’t have to act like that!” Della’s tone became more intense.

“I just want some time with him! Is it so much for me to ask you not to keep him all to yourself for a while?” Donald raised his voice.

“Damn it, Donald! You had him for ten years! What more do you want?” she shouted, her face completely red, her voice trembling.

Della hid her face in her hands. Her shoulders started shaking.

That was not Donald’s intention. He hadn’t seen her cry since she got back from the moon, but it now hit him that she probably cried many times in the mansion.

She would always keep her tears for the night, for when she was lying in bed. She’d try to keep it quiet, so Donald couldn’t hear her, but that was hardly ever the case.

Sometimes he’d try to cheer her up by throwing his pillow at her, or saying some silly joke.

Sometimes he’d go over to her bed and try to calm her down, listen carefully to her problems. He’d console her with the most comforting words, or sometimes they wouldn’t talk at all. He would just hug her and hold her close.

And there were other nights when he just couldn’t do any of that, when he just pretended he was asleep. And her cries broke his heart…

They didn’t share the same room anymore. And Donald didn’t want to imagine her nights all alone in a house she didn’t know anymore. Let alone her nights in a broken ship on the moon.

But now she wasn’t alone.

Donald moved closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Come now, Della. You are back, we are together. Everything’s alright”.

Her sobbing didn’t stop. Donald touched her chin gently and made her turn her face to him.

“You don’t ever have to be jealous of me. More for me doesn’t mean less for you. It means more for Dewey. You are his mother and nothing can change that, but I’m also his parent. I missed him too! I was six months away from him and everyone else!”

“I know, I know. You are right” she sniffed and washed her tears away. “Sometimes I get defensive because I feel that you are more parent to them than I can ever hope to be” she admitted.

“That’s not true”.

“We both know it is! You did all the raising. Of course you deserve to spend time with Dewey! I’m sorry, I can’t compete with you”.

“No, and you shouldn’t. We are in this together” he held her hands in his own.

Della smiled.

“Thanks for everything you’ve done” her voice was hoarse, but soft. “You’ve raised them well”.

It was Donald’s turn to smile back.

“May I suggest you leave tomorrow for your big trip?” Donald said. “Dewey won’t admit it, but he’s tired. I can tell he’s exhausted when he hastily rubs his eyes. I know you have looked forward to your adventures for so many years, but he’s a kid, Della! He needs to rest”.

“He’ll sleep on board. I didn’t hear him complain about anything” Della waved her hand.

“He isn’t going to. He wants you to see him as adventurous. Just tell him you’re the one who’s tired and you need some good sleep. I guarantee, once he lays on his bed, he will sleep heavily for ten hours straight”.

“I went too far with the adventure thing, right?” she chuckled.

“It’s fine. I can understand your impatience”.

“Anything else I should know about Dewey?”

“Yeah, you have to check up on him often. If he’s hurt he won’t come to you. He doesn’t want to seem weak, and he’s too proud to let other people see him vulnerable. After your trip, search for bruises in his arms and legs”.

“Okay, got it”.

“Oh, and something else! He can’t say no. If your adventure becomes too risky, he won’t back down. You have to hold him back sometimes, for his own safety. He is reckless and he will rush off without thinking in advance. His enthusiasm controls him”.

“I guess he got that from me” Della smiled.

“I always saw him as a younger male version of you. And one last thing! Try to relax. I know you want to make up for the years you were away, but you’re trying to fit in so many adventures in such little time! You’ll have all the time in the world to bond with the boys, there’s no need to force yourself to them”.

“Are we talking about Louie?” she asked confused.

“No, it was a general advice”.

Before either one could realize it, they found themselves in a tight embrace.

“Thanks for everything, Donald. And I promise, as soon as we come back from Cloud Cockatoo Land, Dewey is yours” she whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fishing trip Donald didn't want, but the one he needed.

Donald and Louie were on the boat. They hadn’t had much luck with the fish until now. Well, _Donald_ didn’t have any luck (as usual). Louie was just fixated on his mobile, despite his uncle’s encouragements to enjoy the nature and leave the technology aside that weekend.

A vibration came from Louie’s mobile and the young boy chuckled and started texting.

“I couldn’t help but notice you are texting Goldie O’Gilt lately. Quite a lot” his uncle commented. “Not that I spy on you, but sometimes I couldn’t help seeing your screen”.

“Sure, she’s okay” he said nonchalantly.

“And you have her listed as ‘Auntie Goldie’?”

“Yeah” Louie laughed. “A nickname just to piss her off. As if she and uncle Scrooge never were a thing”.

Donald rolled his eyes, with a smirk on his lips.

“Just take care, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah” the boy continued texting, without looking at him.

“I am happy you found someone you can look up to and get along with” Donald added and let out a heavy sigh.

The next few moments went by completely silent, but the sound of some birds in the background. Still no fish. But it was alright. Even though it would be highly appreciated, a fine dinner hadn’t been Donald’s goal in going fishing, rather than enjoying some moments of peace and tranquility.

Although these were certainly not the feelings that were overwhelming him right now. It was clear to him now: worrying about his nephews was unavoidable and that sense of serenity he pursued wouldn’t be accomplished in any place of the world, no matter the circumstances, until the relationship between them was clear.

“You know Dewey. He will calm down eventually”.

Louie’s voice made Donald wake up from his day dream.

“What?” he asked surprised.

The duckling didn’t answer immediately, but eventually said:

“He may now be obsessed with mom, but he‘ll remember we exist too”.

Something inside Donald’s chest broke.

“You feel that way too?” Donald asked.

“Yeah… We barely even talk lately”.

The boat stayed silent for a while, each of its passengers occupied deeply with their thoughts.

“Thanks for coming here with me” Donald broke the silence.

Louie turned his eyes away from his mobile and he finally looked at his uncle.

“I don’t forget promises! You promised you’d take me with you everywhere” he made a teasing grimace.

“That I did” he ruffled the boy’s hair.

“Uncle Gladstone gave you the tickets for here, right?”

“What? How did you-”

“I saw his name erased on some papers in the hotel. Plus, you know, it makes sense. He always wins trips and stuff like that”.

Donald’s initial shock gave way to a more impressed and loving expression.

“You are a sharp one indeed”.

Louie shrugged his shoulders, as if to say: “It’s true!” in the sassiest way possible.

The lack of fishing success urged Donald to continue this conversation, to ask the real questions. It felt like it was the perfect opportunity to do so.

“How do you feel now that Della’s back?”

Clearly Louie was taken aback. His thumbs froze in front of the mobile screen and he stuttered a bit before managing to reply:

“I don’t know, I think I need some more time to get used to her”.

“It’s normal” the older duck reassured him.

Suddenly Louie seemed more eager to talk about this topic:

“She’s speeding everything up, you know. Like, okay I get it, you missed ten years, but you can’t make up for it and suddenly become my mom only in a few months!”

Louie laughed but then a sadder expression appeared in his face. Donald rested his hand on his trembling shoulder and caressed him.

“That’s so Della! Always rushing in!”

“How do _you_ feel now that she’s back?”

Louie was the only who had ever asked him that question. Why would anyone ask? His beloved sister came back, why would he feel anything but happiness?

But no. Right now he was going to tell the truth. Louie deserved it.

“I’m a bit scared to be honest. I feel like I’m losing you” Donald admitted. “Your phone beeped” he added quickly, after realizing what he had just said. “You better check your messages; perhaps your auntie Goldie sent you something”.

Louie half smiled. He opened his mobile, and without looking away from the screen he said:

“You know, I already had a person I looked up to and got along with way before Goldie”.

“Sure. How could I forget the sponsor of our trip!” Donald sighed with a sarcastic expression all over his face.

“I wasn’t talking about uncle Gladstone, I meant you”.

“What?”

That was certainly something he didn’t expect to hear.

“Sure, the luckiest goose and the richest duck in the world are my uncles, and you have the worst luck ever and you are always broke… but I think you are pretty cool”.

Donald struggled not to burst out in tears. He had to be strong right now. His nephew continued:

“Dewey thinks surviving in the moon and rebuilding a spaceship is the ultimate achievement, but I believe raising three children on your own tops everything. He’ll see it in time. Don’t worry. You’ll never lose any of us”.

“Thanks, Lou. It’s very kind of you to say that, I really appreciate it”.

“I know that out of the three of us Huey is, or at least appears to be, the strongest, the one you can always turn to when life’s a mess. But I am here too. I get that I’m not a person that inspires much trust or comfort, but I can try”.

“That’s really responsible and thoughtful of you!” Donald pointed out.

“Well, what can I say? I was raised well!” the duckling joked.

Their fishing trip didn’t end up successful as far as the fish were concerned, however it certainly was a good experience for the both of them.

Their suite had two king-size beds, however they slept together.


	6. Chapter 6

The weekend was peaceful and relaxing, but eventually Donald and Louie returned to the mansion. Huey got back from the excursion with the Junior Woodchucks, however Della and Dewey weren’t back yet. The trip to Cloud Cockatoo Land must have taken them longer than expected.

The return to reality was going to be harsh tomorrow morning, but for now Donald didn’t want to spare any thoughts on anything but his sweet bed.

Until a knock sounded on his door.

“Come in”.

The door slightly opened and Huey’s head popped up.

“Um, uncle Donald, can I talk with you?” he asked.

“Sure, Huey! Come in”.

The duckling entered and closed the door behind him. Donald sensed that he was feeling rather blue.

“Did something happen at the field trip?” he asked softly.

“No, not at all. In fact, I had a great time there. I think the problem is… here”.

The uncle sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes.

“I don’t find that hard to believe. I know things are strange, but keep in mind this is a period of transition. And until we finally get where we are supposed to, we should share our feelings with each other, okay?”

“That’s why I am here. I thought I could keep it to myself and eventually forget about it, but after my failed attempts, I don’t think it works that way”.

“Huey, you can tell me everything” Donald reassured him. “You know that, right?”

“I know, so I’m just going to go ahead and spill it all out” he replied with tears in his eyes. “I feel like mom loves me just because I am her son, because she’s supposed to. Not because of who I really am. I mean, it’s understandable, she doesn’t really know me. But I think that all those years on the moon, she had created an idea in her mind about me and my brothers. She loves us because we are the fulfillment of her imagination of her sons. She thinks she knows me, but I’m not the son she imagined on the moon. I don’t think I can live up to Jet. I mean, I want her to love me! Of course! But not like that”.

Donald’s look was fixated on the floor the whole time, but the worried and serious expression that was all over his face showed that he was listening very carefully. He didn’t reply immediately, rather he seemed to be thinking for a good deal of seconds. He must have been thinking so hard, that the silence dragged on and become awkward without him realizing it.

“Uncle Donald?” Huey interrupted his deep thoughts.

The older duck raised his eyes from the floor to face the boy. He didn’t know how to deal with this. But he had to try.

“Sweetie, I can honestly tell you that Della _knows_ that she doesn’t know you. That’s why she tries so much to spend time with you. You may often feel far from her, but she also feels far from you”.

“I just get the feeling that she wouldn’t hang out with me if I wasn’t her kid. With Dewey she gets along just fine. And with Louie… Well, they are always fighting, but at least there is a tension in their relationship, they interact somehow! But with me… I’m just there. We don’t even quarrel! Sometimes I wish we would”.

“I get what you mean. It’s natural to want attention from her”.

“I mean, I adore her! Not just because she’s my mother and I have to, but because she’s intelligent, she’s strong and determined, she fights for those she loves… I love the person my mom is! Everything I have learned about her! I don’t see her just as my mother, but I see her personality, who she truly is. But I’m afraid she doesn’t see me that way. And that’s unfair! It’s one thing not to have a relationship with your mother because she’s miles and miles away, and another if you live in the same house. At least then I knew it wasn’t personal”.

“Oh, Huey, come here!” Donald held his nephew tight. “Della doesn’t have anything personal with you”.

“That’s exactly my point!” he shouted and burst out in crying. “I just exist. And if I can’t get my own mother to be interested in me, then—”

“Whoa, whoa! Don’t say this about yourself!” Donald said and started rubbing his back comfortingly. “You are a very special person, a bright kid, a very kind and loyal—”

“You only say that because you raised me” Huey cut him off. “If you met me right now, would you care about me?”

“Of course!” Donald protested with all his power, the thought of Huey thinking he doesn’t deserve love unbearable. “How can you say that? Don’t you know your worth? Huey, you are protective, you are a rock for everyone. You will do anything for those close to you! Have I ever told you how much empowerment your breakfasts for me before job interviews gave me? You are supportive, encouraging and inspiring! And I think that because of this, Della can’t see that you also need her to express more openly her love to you. You are the one who provides for others, you are the one who will support your family and give them strength when they need it. You appear strong. But you have your needs too. Somebody has to show you some love too”.

“You know, that applies to you too, uncle Donald” the boy threw himself in his arms. “You always place our needs first, but this is difficult for you too. And lately we failed to show you our appreciation. Well, I failed” he admitted with a sad look on his face.

“It’s alright, Huey. I know you love me” he reassured him with a warm smile.

“Sure you do, but it would be nice of me to express it more often. Thank you for listening. What you said had never crossed my mind. Maybe mom hasn’t connected that much with me not because she doesn’t find me interesting, but because I haven’t told her that I need her. I should try harder to get the message across. She’s a new mom, after all”.

“We can speak to her together. Have a conversation, just the three of us. Would you like me to be there? Would it make you feel more comfortable?”

“Yeah, actually it would. You know us better than we know each other. Thanks, uncle Donald. I know that you are always here when I need you. Even when I think I don’t. And… if you want… maybe we can speak together to Dewey”.

“To Dewey?” Donald repeated with worry in his voice. “Why? Did something happen between the two of you? Did you fight?”

“No, but I was thinking that maybe you would like to talk to him”.

How did he—

Well, they were family. It must have been obvious.

“I confess that’s true” Donald said.

“Louie noticed first. He can be very observant sometimes. He came to me, said I was the mediator”.

It hurt Donald to admit that his relationship with Dewey needed help, but he was glad and proud about Louie and Huey right now that a smile could not be helped.

“I tried to approach Dewey” Huey continued. “Although with not much success. I know I’m not an expert, but it seemed to me like he avoided talking about you. He kept repeating how wonderful mom is and at some point he said: ‘To think what we missed all those ten years! We didn’t even know stories of her! We just had a mediocrely performed lullaby we didn’t even know it was hers!’. So I thought that maybe Dewey is mad because you never really talked to us about mom while she was gone”.

Donald was suddenly at loss of words. Such thing did not cross his mind. But it made so perfect sense!

“Do you think he’s right?” the uncle asked.

“I understand that it would be painful for you and maybe even for us. But now what’s done is done and I don’t think I could ever have the right to be angry at you for the way you raised us. Uncle Donald, I just can’t blame you for anything after all you’ve done for us. After all, you took your decisions, just like mom did. Only you were thinking about us and she was thinking about no one but herself”.

“Huey—”

“Fine, I shouldn’t have said that. But I haven’t totally forgiven her yet. And I can’t share Dewey’s view on this matter because the reason we didn’t know her wasn’t because you didn’t talk to us about her, but because she left”.

“You know, Dewey may be right. I admit that over the years I was always confused about whether I should speak to you about Della or not. And ultimately, I think my pain played a bigger role in this decision, rather than my concern for your feelings. I mean, after all, she’s your mother, you deserved to know about her. Perhaps I was too selfish”.

“She’s also your sister. I have siblings too, I can understand. I could never judge you for the choices you made. I know you always had the best intentions. You abandoned everything else in your life to raise us and because of that I could never call you selfish”.

“Thanks, Huey. But I’m afraid Dewey doesn’t see it this way. I already intended to have a conversation with him, but talking with you has helped me incredibly! I can now go to him more prepared. It seems Louie is right, you are a mediator indeed”.

Huey got up and moved towards the door, thanking his uncle for the talk and wishing him sweet dreams and a peaceful sleep (all he needed right now).

Sure, sharing a bed with Louie was by far lovelier than any sleep he could get, but it was also true that the duckling kicked him in his sleep and caused him to wake up many times during the night. So, a bed all to himself, though not as comfortable as the hotel’s, was a true blessing.

However, he would absolutely say yes to Huey if he asked to sleep with him!

But he didn’t. Maybe he was now too old for that.

Donald took a good look of him as he was walking to the door. God, when did he grow up so much?

Maybe Dewey could still want to sleep with him. Donald would desperately want that, after they could first discuss.

“Do you think Dewey and mom will return soon from Cloud Cockatoo Land?” Huey’s whispering voice interrupted his thoughts.

“I hope so. We both have important stuff to discuss with them. Goodnight, Huey!”


	7. Chapter 7

Donald was on his way to the living room when he passed by Goldie O’Gilt.

“Morning” he greeted her, sleepy as he was, before realizing who she was.

“You too, sailor guy” she replied nonchalantly.

“What? Miss Goldie O’Gilt?” Donald shouted surprised. “What are you doing here? Who let you in? I didn’t hear the doorbell ring”.

“Please!” she laughed. “Like I need to knock to get anywhere I want!”

“Okay, I’m not going to question your presumably illegal entrance here further, but since we ran into each other, let me inform you that my uncle is not present”.

“Bold of you to assume that I didn’t know” Goldie rolled her eyes. “Old Scroogey does have a lot of business to attend to, I’m used to that. But I am not here to see him”.

“In that case, is there anything I can help you with, miss O’Gilt?”

“Well, for starters spare me the courtesy. No matter how you call me, you will always be that little brat that bit my arm in the ruins of Lost Atlantis” she smirked, but in a kind of aggressive way.

“Oh…” Donald blushed in embarrassment. “To my defence, I wasn’t even five years old! Well, I hoped that you may had forgotten that incident”.

“Dear, I never forget anything. Especially my adventures with Moneybags and his nephew and niece. And since I mentioned her, be so kind as to give my regards to that sister of yours with her head in the clouds. ‘Till later” she greeted him and was ready to leave, until Donald stopped her:

“Seriously, what do you want here?”

“Don’t bother yourself, I’m just going to take the green one out for a walk”.

“Louie? Yeah, he did mention he was going to the park with a _friend,_ but I didn’t really make the connection. Well, have a good time”.

“Hm, that’s odd” Goldie commented with a perplexed look.

“What?”

“No remarks of the kind: ‘Goldie, stay away from the kid!’, ‘Goldie don’t poison him with your morally doubtful lifestyle!’”.

“Hey, I’m not saying I approve your methods, but to be honest, it’s good for Louie to have company. Mrs Beakley, uncle Scrooge and Della would probably protest to you being anywhere near Louie, but I don’t share that opinion. Seriously, thank you for spending time with him. He needs people around him, especially now, and in your own way, you’re helping him. And I know that you and uncle Scrooge aren’t and probably never were officially a thing, but should you ever wish to change that, you are very welcome in our family”.

Goldie froze for a few seconds, unsure of how to respond, until she just laughed and waved her hand saying: “Sure, whatever…”

“And one last thing!” Donald stopped her before she could reach the staircase.

She turned around and nodded for him to speak.

“Please, take care” Donald said. “He’s a sensitive kid. He won’t admit it, but it’s true. If he’s hurt, he won’t overcome it easily. And I’m afraid that lately he’s hurt a lot”.

“Yeah…” Goldie agreed. “Don’t worry, I’m not planning on stealing from him… yet”.

“Have a good time today. But bring him home before dinner! You are of course welcome to stay too”.

“Don’t think so, but thanks”.

Sure, Donald had mixed feelings about her, but right now she seemed to help Louie. At least she got him to get out of the house every once in a while.

As she was walking up the stairs, the door behind him opened and an excited Dewey burst in.

“It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!” he shouted while jumping up and down.

No bruises, no blood, no scratches, all of his arms and legs there. Okay, now Donald was somewhat relieved.

“You found your way home eventually. It was about time” he smirked. “Everything alright?”

“Everything awesome!” Dewey shouted louder than he shouldn’t have and started narrating every detail of their journey.

“Donald, can I have a word with you?” his sister’s voice sounded worrisome.

“I was going to watch TV and relax for a while, but sure, go ahead”.

“Was that Goldie you were talking to? I think I heard her voice before we came in”.

“Yeah, she just went upstairs”.

“To do what?” Della asked completely surprised.

“Meet with Louie. They are thick as thieves lately”.

“Oh, I see…” she rubbed her chin and seemed notably puzzled.

“Did everything go well in your adventure?”

“Sure. We nearly died six times, but don’t let me bore you with the details. How was your dull trip? Did you get enough rest?”

“Yeah, it was relaxing” Donald smiled at the mere recollection of it.

“Is Huey back from the field trip? Everything fine with him?”

“He returned safely. He had a very good time in the excursion. Why don’t you and Dewey go to your beds now? He already started sleeping…” Donald pointed at his nephew, collapsed to the floor and snoring loudly.

“Great idea, bro” Della yawned.

Donald walked to Dewey’s side and bent over him in order to carry him upstairs to his bed, before he could realize Della was about to do the exact same thing and their heads bumped.

The twins simultaneously shouted “ouch!”, rubbed their foreheads, looked at each other and laughed.

“I’m sorry” Donald said.

“No, I’m sorry. Do you want to…”

“No, it’s fine! Go ahead!” Donald urged her. “I mean, of course I can carry him if you are tired from the—”

“No, it’s okay! I just didn’t want to ruin your plan to watch TV, you said you wanted to relax. And I’m going upstairs any way so…”

“Yeah, great!”

After some moments of awkwardness, Della picked up Dewey in her arms and started going upstairs.

“Enjoy your show” she wished to Donald.

“And you enjoy your sleep” he replied trying to smile, watching as she was carrying Dewey to tuck him in, like he always did.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ended up longer than I had planned, but I just couldn't stop writing!

The voices behind the closed door grew louder every second, rage behind every word:

“You don’t have the right to tell me who I should be friends with!”

“I do, because I’m your freaking mother!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I guess I must have forgotten it after ten years! Thanks for reminding me, I’m kinda impressed you remembered it!”

“Enough with the irony, Louie!”

“The irony is that you remember you’re my mom only when you want to scold me! Why don’t you take advice from uncle Donald first before you decide to destroy my life?”

“ARE YOU ENJOYING THIS? Damn it, are you really enjoying this?! Rubbing into my face that Donald is better than me? Well, for your information, I already know that! What I don’t get is what’s the matter with HER?”

“Why do you even care? What’s your problem?”

“IF YOU WANT TO HANG OUT WITH A GROWN UP WOMAN THAT MESSES UP ALL THE TIME, AND HAS NO IDEA ABOUT CHILDREN, AND IS NEVER AROUND, THEN WHY THE HELL COULDN’T YOU JUST CHOOSE ME??!!”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Those shouts were always painful to hear. They were so loud that echoed all around the house.

But the worst part was the silence after.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donald was in the houseboat, going through some old photo albums, when he saw Dewey coming in.

God, it had been ages since he was last here!

“Hi, uncle Donald” he greeted him, with an annoyed expression on his face. “Oh, you rearranged! Hope you don’t mind me here, I just want to be in a place where I can’t hear them yelling”.

“Dewey, that’s your house too, you can always come. Who is yelling?”

“Guess what? Mom and Louie are having a fight. AGAIN!” Dewey sighed in anger. “Louie never shouted before mom came back. Now it’s all that he ever does, it’s so tiring!”

Donald nodded him to sit beside him, and he closed the album.

“Dewey, that’s normal. We had fights too, remember?”

“That’s different!” he protested. “It happens all the time and it’s always Louie’s fault! How can he be so ungrateful? He finally has a mother and he makes her feel sad? He doesn’t get to hurt my mom!”

“I know this may sound strange, but they need to have these fights. They can’t keep everything inside them, Dewey”.

“But Louie is so… so… Ugh, I can’t stand him!” he shouted, almost ready to cry. “Why is he acting like that?”

“You should try to understand him!”

“Understand what? That he doesn’t like that mom came back?”

“You know that’s not true! He loves her. But everyone’s different, Dewey. Even triplets. He’s experiencing this differently. He needs to adapt, and he’s not as good with changes as you are! Louie is sensitive! He needs time. He can’t bond easily. All of this is very difficult for him. We shouldn’t judge him for his feelings. He’s confused”.

“What is there to be confused about? Our mom is here! How is that not the most awesome thing that has ever happened in our lives?”

“Again, he _is_ happy. In fact so unexpectedly happy he doesn’t know how to deal with it. Besides, he just started getting to know her. He’s still learning about her and processing everything. And he doesn’t have the same chemistry with her as you do”.

“How can anyone _not_ like her? Why?”

“It’s not about her personality, it’s whether he can see her as a mother figure in his life. Give him some space. His whole world has changed!”

“Maybe it wouldn’t be too sudden for Louie, if we actually knew something about mom before she came back!”

Donald felt a sudden pain on his stomach and he lowered his eyes to the floor.

“I should go back to the mansion, maybe they stopped fighting” Dewey said and got up from the couch.

“No, Dewey” his uncle stopped him. “Can you please stay? I think we should talk”.

“So now you want to talk?” he said, a raging fierceness in his trembling voice.

“Sit down and don’t be sarcastic” Donald managed to remain calm.

Donald rubbed his eyes and tried many times to start talking, but the words wouldn’t come out of his mouth! How was he to begin? He had no idea!

He took a few deep breaths.

He had forgotten how difficult raising kids was.

“I thought you’d be happy!” he snapped. “In the houseboat. With me, Huey and Louie. I thought that you would never need anything else!”

“I _was_ happy, uncle Donald! But a part of me felt like there was always something missing!” he protested. “And honestly, it still does, because of… my father. But not because of you, you did a perfect job raising us”.

“I know that you’d prefer Della to raise you instead of me. I tried to be like her, to show her to you through my actions. I guess I didn’t succeed” he lowered his head. “I tried to be bold and brave, but I never was. I failed you. I failed Della, your brothers, everyone!”

“No, don’t say that, uncle Donald!” he cut him off. “You were there when nobody was. And I will never stop being grateful to you for that. I just… I would have loved to grow up learning stuff about mom! I wish I didn’t have to be so secretive when I was searching clues about her and the Spear of Selene with Webby!”

“Why didn’t you ask me about her then? All those years none of you ever told me that you’d like to hear about her!”

“Yes, because I was afraid!” Dewey admitted with a trembling voice. “What if she wasn’t a good person, what if she didn’t love me, what if she was just a selfish monster that abandoned her own kids? If that were the case, I don’t think I could have been strong enough to bare it! And I trusted you! When I was feeling lonely or when I was watching a movie about orphan kids, I always said: If uncle Donald thinks it’s best that I don’t know about her yet, then he must be right! But you weren’t!” he started to get aggressive. “Mom is wonderful and she always loved me! And you could have shared this with me, you could have prevented all those long nights of me wondering about her!”

“I did it to protect you!” Donald raised his voice. “That’s why I never told you about uncle Scrooge or anything else. Adventures are dangerous! I had already lost my sister because of that, I couldn’t lose you too!”

“I understand that, but you must also understand that hiding everything about her from us was not okay! I had the right to know!”

“And what was I to say? That your mom was a fool that only sook adventure and because of that she didn’t think twice before stepping into that piece of crap and left all her family behind and me with three eggs?”

“It may hurt, and it still does very much, despite of how comfortable I can be around her, but I wanted to hear it!”

“Yeah, Dewey? Really?” he scoffed. “Would you have the right words to say to three children? You may think you are old enough, but you are not, trust me!”

“I did trust you! Maybe _you_ should start trusting _me_ with things that concern me! At the end of the day, she’s my own mother! I deserve the truth! Maybe now I’m eventually lucky that I’m getting to know her, but you know what? In many ways, it’s too late now!” he shouted louder than Donald had ever heard him in his life.

Dewey got up from the couch and started pacing around the room.

“Great, now I’m yelling too!” he added, trying to hold back his sobs.

“Is it too late to apologize?” Donald asked softly.

Dewey’s surprised look turned to him.

“I can see what you’re saying and I understand that” his uncle said. “Maybe I should have been more open about Della. You always reminded me of her, in almost every possible way. So in a way, I had her with me, because I had you. And that gave me strength. I admit, sometimes it hurt. Your similarity brought painful memories many times. But other times… Oh God! Dewey, you couldn’t realize how much encouragement you gave me! You would say something stupid that reminded me of her, and I could feel my sister’s presence again!” Donald cupped Dewey’s face and the boy started tearing up. “There were times” he continued, “that I looked you and I thought that I never really lost her, because I had you. And I can see that it’s painful for you that you didn’t have her, not even in memories, not even knowing basic stuff about her. I’m really sorry I didn’t speak to you about her”.

“Uncle Donald? We too always had mom with us in a way. Because we had you”.

The two ducks slowly melted into a warm embrace.

“You know…” Dewey interrupted the peaceful silence. “I was always focused on my own pain, because I lost my mother, and it never hit me as much that you lost your sister. I should have been more understanding”.

“It’s alright, Dewey. You’re here now and that’s all that matters” he patted him on the shoulder.

“I appreciate your apology so much, uncle Donald, but at the same time, I should say sorry in return. Lately I didn’t spend much time with you, despite your efforts to approach me. I guess I only thought about myself again. Sometimes I’m so afraid that I will wake up and mom will be gone again, that I only want to spend every second with her”.

“It’s okay. I want you to be happy with your mom. I’m really glad you spend time with her! I know how it is to lose your mom and miss her all the time. If I had mine right now, I’d probably do the same. So be with her. She was alone all those years, she deserves all the time in the world”.

“I also want to spend time with you. To be honest, I missed you”.

“I missed you too” Donald said with a melancholic tone and a smile warmer than fire.

“I know that I lost my chance with the fishing trip, but even a walk in the garden would be great. Just the two of us. Or maybe a car ride.”

“Don’t you do that with Launchpad?”

“Don’t worry, he won’t get jealous” Dewey shrugged his shoulders.

The boy changed his position and lay on the couch, resting his head on his uncle’s knees.

He hadn’t done that in a while.

Donald couldn’t resist caressing his hair.

“Thank you for opening up to me, Dewey”.

“Thank you for listening! It’s much better now”.

“And… considering what you just told me,” Donald hesitantly tried to find the words, “I think I should talk to you about… your father. Only if you want of course”.

Instantly, the atmosphere became heavier.

He sensed him freezing and holding his breath for a few seconds. Then his shoulders started trembling.

“Dewey?”

The boy nodded, tears starting to run again on his cheeks.

“The… the only…” Dewey tried to speak, but his voice sounded like he was on the verge of bursting out in sobs. “The only things I know about… him… are his name and… and that he died before we hatched”.

“Yeah, before Della even knew that she was going to have kids. I don’t know much about him, I only saw him a couple times. He and Della hadn’t been together that long. But I think she truly loved him”.

The loveliest expression appeared in Dewey’s face.

“What was he like as a person?”

“Quiet, but sharp. I think Louie has taken after him. He didn’t talk much, but when he did he’d be exactly on point. I remember Della was crazy for him” Donald chuckled. “I used to make fun of her for being in love! She had never been before".

"And he loved her as much?"

"Yes, I believe so" Donald reassured him.

Then followed the question that could not be avoided:

"How did he die?"

Donald had prepared this answer in his mind since a long time ago, but now that the moment actually came, he had to take a few moments to put the words in order.

"It was a car accident” he explained. “He was driving home from work after a late shift and… it happened. I don’t know the details. But I will never forget the night they called Della. He had listed her as his emergency contact. He didn't have any family, he was an orphan, just like us".

"And mom was devastated, right?"

"I had never seen her like that” Donald admitted. “At first she could not believe it. Then she was angrier than ever, furious! But after all those outbursts, she could only be deeply sad. She kept to her room for a week, she used so many tissues, she wouldn't even talk for a few days!"

"It must have been really hard..."

"Indeed. But then she found out that she was having kids. She said she'd be the best mother in the world. She was determined to be strong and protective of you. But she still missed him. And I think she still does sometimes".

“I think I miss him too” Dewey said so silent that it was almost a whisper. “It’s weird, it doesn’t make any sense! I mean, how can you miss someone you’ve never even met? But, I don’t know. I just feel this in my heart”.

“It’s not weird” he gently reassured him.

Dewey sighed.

"Do you think we'll ever see him someday?"

"Yes, I believe that” Donald insisted. “Well, he'll punch me in the face as soon as he sees me! Because the last time I saw him, there had been a misunderstanding and I thought he hurt Della, so I was maybe too aggressive..."

"Really?" Dewey giggled.

"Yeah, I slapped him so hard that I broke my hand!"

They both laughed.

"So, he'd probably want to pay back" Donald added.

"No, he wouldn't do that" Dewey said with absolutely certainty and smiled.

"How are you so sure?"

"Because I know for sure what he'd do if he saw you".

"What?"

"He'd thank you for being a dad to us".

A dad.

Donald never wanted to claim that word and he strongly prevented the triplets from calling him that when they were toddlers.

But in such moments he had to be honest with himself.

He was their dad and nothing could ever change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all folks! Thanks so much for reading this story! I hope you liked it. Feel free to comment below!  
> (Sorry again for my English!)


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